'A wee man with a need to be noticed': Sir Alex blasts back at police chief who dared to question Rooney's outburst

'Everyone has an opinion today': Sir Alex Ferguson has criticised a police chief for saying he would have arrested Wayne Rooney for his foul-mouthed rant

Sir Alex Ferguson has hit out at a police chief who said he would have arrested Wayne Rooney for his foul-mouthed rant.

Superintendent Mark Payne claimed he would have expected his officers
to have arrested Rooney had the Manchester United striker replicated
his pitchside four-letter outburst in a public place.

But after the Football Association upheld Rooney's two-game ban for the on-camera swearing, his manager Sir Alex accused Supt Payne - who is responsible for managing responses to crime and
operations in Wolverhampton - of 'needing to be noticed' after his pointed comments yesterday.

'Everyone has an opinion today,' said the Manchester United manager.

'There is an issue in the modern world of a need to be noticed.

'There is a wee guy, sitting down there in the Midlands, probably never been recognised in his life, managed to elevate himself to whatever it is in the police force.

'Have you ever seen Wolverhampton on a Saturday night? Do police ever arrest anyone for swearing on a Saturday night? Dearie me. That is a good one.'

Supt Payne said on his blog on policing: 'If Rooney had behaved like that in Wolverhampton on Saturday night, I would have expected my officers to lock him up.